Delaware River Hatches

You've never "matched the hatch" until you fish the Delaware

As with any hatch chart, this is only a guide to when you can expect certain flies to hatch. The weather, water levels and just the overall type of season will affect the actual periods of bug activity. Some of the hatches occur throughout the river system, while others are more prolific in specific sections. Just another reason why a full time professional fly fishing guide can make your visit to the river more enjoyable and productive.

If you look through the chart you will notice some overlap among the various hatches. This often translates to having multiple insect species hatching at the same time. On top of this, add fish that are keyed into one specific specie and then into one specific life stage of that insect. It gets interesting.

Insect

Artificial

Size

Dates*

Taeniopteryx fasciata

Brown Stone

12/14

3/25-5/5

Baetis vagans

Blue Winged Olive

18/20

3/25- 5/15

Chimarra

Little Black Caddis

18/20

4/1 - 5/20

Paraleptophlebia adoptiva

Blue Quill, Mahogany Dun

18/20

4/10 - 5/10

Epeorus pleuralis

Quill Gordon

12/14

4/10 - 5/15

Ephemerella subvaria

Hendrickson

12/14

4/15 - 5/25

Ephemerella invaria

Sulfur

12/14

4/20 - 6/10

Brachycentrus

Shad Fly, Grannom Caddis

16

4/25 - 5/25

Ephemerella rotunda

Sulfur/Pale Evening Dun

12/14

5/1 - 6/10

Stenonema vicarium

March Brown

10/12

5/15 - 6/5

Stenonema fuscum

Gray Fox

12/14

5/25 -6/20

Ephemerella dorothea

Sulfur

16/18

5/25 - 7/15

Ephemera guttulata

Green Drake

8/10

6/1 - 6/15

Epeorus vitreus

Sulfur

12/14

6/1 - 8/10

Isonychia bicolor

Dun Variant, Slate Drake

10/12

6/1 - 10/31

Stenonema Ithaca & canadense

Light Cahill

12/14

6/5- 9/10

Ephemerella cornuta

Blue Winged Olive

14

6/5 - 6/25

Ephemerella atenuata

Blue Winged Olive

18/20

6/15 - 7/15

Ephemera simulans

Brown Drake

8/10

6/5- 6/15

Potamanthus

Cream Variant

10

6/15 - 8/25

Tricorythodes

Trico

24

6/28 - 10/15

Pseudocloeon

Blue Winged Olive

24

6/28 - 11/20

Ephemerella lata

Blue Winged Olive

22

7/15 - 11/24

Paraleptophlebia debilus

Blue Quill

16/18

7/1 - 10/15

Ephoron leukon

White Fly

12/14

8/20 - 9/15

*The first date listed is usually the earliest you can expect particular